Apparatus for cracking hydrocarbons.



d. vvk CMM, im

APPARATUS Hrw @immune :-wmfr0Cm-e0mS APPLICATIN FILED MM 221 HNI.

` new and useful Improvements in Apparatus,

lll

l'UlEIN WJ. COAST, JR., OF TULSA, OKLHOMA, ASSGNR T0 THE PRGCESS CGMPANY, DF TULSA, DKLAHMA, .ti CEJPURATIN OF MARYLAND.

MPRATUS EUR CRACKNG HYDROCARBON S.

specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Jan. d, this?.

Application filed .'tlay 22, 1917. Serial No. 170,147.

To aZZ whom z't may concern."

lBe it known that l, JOHN W. Coas'r, Jr., a citizen of the United States' of America, a resident of Tulsa, in the county or" Tulsa, State of Oklahoma, have invented certain for Cracking Hydrocarbons, o1" which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specilication.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus tor cracking hydrocarbons, and more particularly to a means lor protecting portions of cracking stills.

drocarbons are cracked in the ordinary cylindrical still, heavy coke forming fractions settle on the still bottom. rlhe resultant coke or carbon is a good heat insulator; it prevents the tree transmission of heat trom the still bottom to the liquid, and it usually accumulates in a pile at some point directly above the hre. l/V hen a suiiiclent quantity of this coke has accumulated, a portion of the loottom ol the still soon becomes red ill) hot, and some immediate steps must then he taken to avoid a rupture at the over- 'heated portion ot' the still. ln actual practice, the still is usually permitted to cool and the coke or carbon is then removed. Ubviously, this procedure results in a loss of tuel due to the cooling and reheating ot the still; the operating expenses are other Wise increased, and the average yield per hour is decreased.

The object of my invention is to eliminate the danger hy protecting the overheated portions of the still, thereby increasing the lite of the still and permitting it to he operated continuously tor a considerable period ci time Without removing the eche or carhon.

Figure l is a diagrammatical vievv ol a cracking apparatus, showing a shield emhodying the lea-tures oil my invention.

Fig. ll is a horizontal sectionn showing the heating chamber and the. shield. mounted therein.

ll'ig. lll is an enlarged horizontal section, showing the interior nl the shield.

Fig. lll' is a section on the line llL-ll, Fig.

lo illustrate the invention, l'. have shown large cylindrical craclring still l arranged above a heating chamber, the latter being provided with a grate 2 on which a leed ol tire is maintained. 'lhe vapor passing from the still flows 'through an inclined vapor pipe 3, then through an air cooled reflux condenser l to a vapor pipe 5 leading to a main condenser 6, from which the product is recovered. The condenser 6 is preferably a coil arranged in a Water tank l.

rlhe apparatus l have shown is particu- 1 larly adapted for use ing point products of example, as distillates or residues resulting from the distillation of crude petroleum. The substances to be treated are introduced into the still inI any suitable manner, and the desiredpressure may be obtained by regulating a valve 8, preferably located in the vapor pipe 5. The pressure in the still and redux condenser d is preterahly greater than 50 pounds per square inch, and the temperature orn the contents of the still preferably ranges from about 600 l?. to 800.O l?. rThe low boiling point fractions passing trom the liquid, flow through the vapor pipe 3 and reiiur condenser Ll to the in cracking high boilpipe 5, leading to the maincondenser ll.v

rl'he relatively high boiling point fractions are condensed in the inclined vapor pipe 3, or in the condenser Al, such fractions being returned to the still through the inclined vapor pipe. This reflux condensate includes a large percentage of heavy, coke-i`orrning fractions commingled with lighter lractions Which may be redistilled to form part oit the low boiling point product.

shield il., located in a pocket in the trent wall ot the heating chamber, is slidably mounted on a horizontal guide consisting ot a pair ot pipes 9 and l0 connected' by a shorter pipe ll at the iront ot the still. The pipes 9 and l0, located between the bottoni of the still and the lire, are arranged longitudinally of the still. in overllow pipe il leads from the condenser to the pipe ll, the

Water passing from the condenser heing circulated 'through the pipesl 9 andlll. l`he shield d. is` a hollow tire-prooi structure, made el metal and provided with hailles lil torming passageivays tor a preferably Water, which tlovvs trom a l through the shield, and then through a discharge pipe let. The pipes 13 and v tend through the liront Wall el hea te chamher'and serve as handles lor manipula coolin tluid 'i distillation, such, for Y ing the shield from the exterior of the apparatus. Sleeves 15, forming part of the shield, are loosely fitted to the pipes 9 and 10.

When the still is in service, coke forming fractions will settle on the bottom of the still, and at some point a relatively large body of the coke or carbon will accumulate, as indicated by the dotted lines X in Fig. I. A portion of the still bottom will then be overheated and become red at a point below the coke or carbon. At this time, the operator interposes the shield between the red portion of the still and the heating medium, hereby intercepting the heat so as to pro- Lect the coke-covered portion of the still from the heating medium. By protecting the still in this manner, the danger usually due to overheating can be quickly overcome, without cooling the entire still and without removing the coke or carbon from the still. The temperature of the contents of the still is not materially changed, and the continued cracking operation is not materially affected by the relatit-*ely small fireproof shield under the large still.

The method or process disclosed herein is claimed in an application for patent filed by me May 2'2, 1917, Serial Number 170,146.

I claim:-

1. In an apparatus for treating hydrocarbons, a still, means for heating said still, and a movable shield interposed between the still and the heating medium to protect overheated portions of the still.

2. ln an apparatus for cracking hydrocarbons, a still, means for heating the bottom of said still, and a shield movable between the bottom of the still and the heating mediun to protect overheated portions of the stil 3. ln an apparatus for cracking hydrocarbons, a still, means for heating the bot tom of said still, a shield movable between the bottom of the still andv the heating medium to protect overheated portions of the still, and exteriorly arranged operating means whereby the shield can be readily shifted to different positions under the still.

4. In an apparatus for cracking hydrocarbons, a still, means for heating the bottom of said stili, a horizontal guide adjacent to the bottom of the still, and a shield movable along said horizontal guide, said shield being movable between the bottom of the still and the heating medium to protect overheated -portions of the still.

5. In an apparatus for treating hydrocarbons, a still, means for heating said still,

-a hollow7 shield movable between the still and heating medium to protect overheated portions of the still, and means for conducting a cooling Huid into andhout of said hollow shield.

6. ln an apparatus for treating hydrocarbons, a still, means Jfor heating said still, a shield movable between the still and heat ing medium to protect overheated portions ot' the still, a hollow guide for said shield, and means for conducting a cooling fluid into and out of said hollow guide.

7. In an apparatus for treating hydrocarbons, a still, means for heating said still, a shield movable between the still and heating medium to protect overheated portions of theostill, a hollow guide for said shield, a water cooled condenser associated with said still, and means for conducting water from said condenser to said hollow guide.

S. 1n an apparatus for cracking hydrocarbons, a still, means for heating the bottom of said still, a guide located between the bottom oi the still and the heating medium, said guide being arranged longitudinally of the still, and a shield movable along said guide to protect overheated portions of the still.

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing 1t hereunto afiX my signature.

JOHN W. CAST, JR. 

